


baby on board

by Spikedluv



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Community: trope_bingo, Kid Fic, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-17
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 15:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/688341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a single dad, Will’s gotten used to guys losing interest when they realize he comes complete with a baby on board.</p>
            </blockquote>





	baby on board

**Author's Note:**

> AU meeting between the boys; kid!fic. Written for the _accidental baby acquisition_ square of my trope_bingo card. (The mods at trope_bingo encourage people to take the usual tropes and give them a little twist, so I’ve sort of done that with this story. Enjoy. *g*)
> 
> Written: February 17, 2013

Will double-checked the name on the coffee shop where he was supposed to meet Abby, Common Grounds, and then pushed the door open. He was pleasantly surprised by the interior, which was warm and inviting and eclectic, rather than offering the sameness of many of the chain coffee houses. Abby had told him exactly where the place was located, but the last time Will had been down this way it had been a bar called the Cheatin’ Heart. With classes, and work, and being a dad, he’d clearly missed some changes around town.

The most important being the cute guy behind the counter, Will thought as he stepped inside the coffee shop and closed the door behind him. When the guy looked up at the sound of the door being shut, Will noticed that he had the most gorgeous eyes he’d ever seen.

“Hi,” Will said, having caught the man’s attention.

When the guy smiled, he was even more pretty, if that was even possible. “Hi. Welcome to Common Grounds. What can I get for you?”

“Oh, uh, just a regular coffee, black,” Will said when he could get his tongue to work.

The guy poured the coffee into a large ceramic mug that looked more like a bowl with a handle than a coffee cup. He slid it across the counter to Will and then rang him up. Will handed over a couple of dollar bills and then looked around the place so it didn’t appear that he was staring at the guy.

“You can sit anywhere you’d like,” the guy said as he handed Will back his change.

Will held up his hand to indicate that he should keep the change.

“Thanks,” the cutie said before dropping it to clink against the other change in the tip jar beside the register.

“I’m actually supposed to meet someone,” Will said. “Is it okay if I sit at the counter while I wait?”

“Sure.”

Will watched as the man picked up the rag he’d been using to wipe down the counter, and turned it to wiping down some of the tables while Will slid onto a stool at the end of the counter. None of the tables looked like they needed wiping down, so either the guy was pretty serious about the tables being clean, or he was looking for work to keep busy.

“Not to sound like a cliche,” the guy said as he returned behind the counter, “but I haven’t seen you in here before.”

“No,” Will said, surprised at being spoken to. He hoped the guy thought Will had been staring into his coffee rather than at his ass. (It was a very fine ass.) “This is my first time here. Last I knew, this place was still a bar.”

The guy smiled as he set the rag he’d rinsed out on the side of the sink and then washed his hands. “Yeah, we haven’t been open long.”

“It’s nice in here,” Will said. “It feels comfortable.”

“Thanks.” The guy’s smile widened. He wiped his hands dry on a towel and then held a hand out to Will. “I’m Sonny. I own the place.”

“Will,” Will said as he clasped the cute guy’s, Sonny’s, hand.

Sonny gave Will a look before releasing his hand. “Abby’s Will?”

“You know Abby?”

“Yeah, she’s my cousin.”

“Mine, too,” Will said.

“Hmm,” Sonny said. “Maybe flirting’s a bad idea, then.”

“Somehow, I think I’d remember if you were part of my family tree,” Will said. He blushed as soon as the words left his tongue.

“Thank you,” Sonny said, grinning at Will. “That _was_ a compliment, right?”

“You know it was,” Will said, smiling back despite the blush coloring his cheeks. “So, were you?”

“Was I what?”

“Flirting.” Will held Sonny’s gaze with his own, though he felt more warmth spreading across his cheeks.

“I was working up to it,” Sonny said. “You’d know it if I was flirting with you.”

“Would I?” Will said rashly. “Not very subtle, then, are you?”

“Ouch,” Sonny said, clutching dramatically at his chest. “That hurt.”

Will smiled. It had been a long time since he’d flirted with anyone, and it felt nice to have someone who was as cute as Sonny show an interest.

“Don’t go anywhere,” Sonny said when a couple of girls game in and he had to make coffees for them that had such long, complicated names Will wondered how Sonny even remembered them after the girls got done rattling them off.

The girls took a seat in the chairs grouped in the front corner while Sonny made their drinks and then carried them over on a tray. Will took advantage of the opportunity to study Sonny without being caught.

“Sorry about that,” Sonny said when he returned. He wiped off the tray and stowed it under the counter.

“That’s alright,” Will said. “I’m the one bugging you.”

“You’re not bugging me,” Sonny said.

It might have been wishful thinking on Will’s part, but he didn’t think Sonny was just saying that to be polite.

“I’m glad,” Will said. Then, to cover his blush, he said, “So, what did you do before you became a, what’s it called, barista?”

“I traveled mostly,” Sonny said. “Surprisingly, it gets old, so I decided to take a break from that.”

“And open a coffee shop.”

Sonny smiled. “And open a coffee shop.”

“In Salem.”

Sonny shrugged. “I had family here. What about you? What do you do?”

“Nothing quite as exciting as traveling. Or owning a coffee shop,” Will teased. “I’m finishing my degree at Salem U. Just started my last year, thank goodness.” He knocked his knuckles against the counter top. “And I work part-time. At Brady’s Pub, actually. That’s not the competition is it?” Will grinned.

“Oh, man,” Sonny said. “Did you just come in here to scope me out?”

Will bit his lip, and then he and Sonny burst out laughing.

“Busted,” Will said. “I heard that a hot guy had opened a new coffee shop, and I decided I had to check it out. The coffee, I mean.”

“So how is it?” Sonny asked. “The coffee, I mean.”

“I’m really enjoying it so far,” Will said, surprised at how brazen he was being.

Will and Sonny looked at each other for a couple seconds, and Will thought they might be on the same page here, both interested in taking the time to get to know the other a little better. Will thought Sonny might be going to say something, but the door opened just then, stealing his attention, and the moment was lost.

Sonny’s eyes lit up. “Abby!”

Will turned on the stool to see Abby and Caro standing in the open doorway. Abby was moving slowly in deference to Caro’s tiny legs.

“Hey, you guys!” Will greeted them, unable to hide his own happiness at the sight of his little girl. He still couldn’t believe that he was a dad. That Caro was his.

“Da-ddy!” Caro said when she spotted him.

Will slid off the stool and went to his knees to catch Caro up in his arms when she toddled over to him. Will squeezed Caro tight and pressed kisses all over her face to make her giggle. The sound of her laughter always went straight to his heart.

“Did you guys have fun?” Will asked as he stood with Caro in his arms. He glanced over at Sonny, who was staring at Will and Caro in surprise. When Sonny saw him looking, he smiled, but Will thought it was a pale imitation of the smile he’d worn earlier.

“We had a great time,” Abby said, drawing Will’s attention away from Sonny. “Didn’t we?”

Caro nodded her head.

“And we’ve got a lot to show Daddy, don’t we?”

Caro nodded her head again.

“You didn’t get more clothes, did you?” Will asked. “I don’t have room for the clothes she already has.”

“A girl can never have too many clothes,” Abby said as she stepped around Will to give Sonny, who’d come out from behind the counter, a hug. “Hey, Sonny.”

“Good to see you, Abby.”

“An’ ice c’eam,” Caro told Will.

“Ice cream?” Will said.

“That was supposed to be our secret!” Abby said, tickling Caro’s belly and making her giggle some more. “So, I see you two have already met,” she said to Will and Sonny.

“Yes,” Sonny said, giving Abby a look that said, “I know what you did there.’ “But, I haven’t met this lovely lady.”

“This,” Will said, “is Caro. My daughter,” he added. “Caro, this is Sonny. Can you say hi?”

In response, Caro hid her face in Will’s neck.

Will chuckled and rubbed Caro’s back. “She’s being shy right now.”

“Why don’t you guys pick out a table and I’ll bring your drinks over.”

“Maybe in the corner back there,” Will said. “So we’re out of the way.”

“Sounds good,” Abby agreed.

“Can I bring anything for Caro?” Sonny asked. “I’m not sure what I have, milk, maybe.”

“No, thanks,” Will said. “I’ve got her covered, if Abby has the diaper bag.” He tried to peer around her.

“I do!” Abby said, turning to show the bag hanging against her back. “I’ve learned my lesson there. Never go anywhere without the diaper bag,” she told Sonny.

“That’s a diaper bag?” Sonny said. “I thought that was your purse.”

“What gave it away, the little teddy bears?” Abby said.

“Exactly,” Sonny said with a grin.

Will led the way over to the table they’d decided on. He pulled a chair out and sat, and settled Caro on his lap when she squirmed around so she could see what was going on. Abby deposited the diaper bag on the chair between them, and then sat across from Will.

“You’re not mad about the ice cream, are you?”

Will shook his head. “No. Unless you gave her an entire sundae, or something.”

“No!” Abby said. “We gals have to watch our figure, so we shared a small dish. But only after we ate all our lunch, right?” she said to Caro.

“Right,” Caro agreed.

“Why do I feel like I’m being worked over here?” Will said.

“Because you probably are,” Sonny said.

Will watched with more interest than the process warranted as Sonny set their coffees on the table, making sure that Will’s was placed out of Caro’s reach.

“You’re in the minority here,” Sonny went on, leaning in conspiratorially as he indicated Caro and Abby. “It never ends well for the guy in these types of situations. Trust me on this.”

“Oh, hush, you!” Abby said, swatting at Sonny. “Hey, why don’t you join us for a couple minutes if you’re not busy.”

Sonny glanced around. Besides the two girls who’d come in while Will was sitting at the counter, two other tables were full. “Let me just check on everybody first.”

After Sonny left, Will glanced down at Caro. She was leaning against Will’s chest, her attention captured by all the reds in the coffee shop, and the lights that sparkled and glittered. He switched out the hand holding her, and with that hand unzipped the diaper bag and delved inside it. His hand emerged triumphant with a small plastic baggie of goldfish crackers.

Will used his teeth to open the baggie and shook out a few of the fish on the table before setting the rest out of grabbing distance. Will got Caro’s sippie cup of juice out of the nearest side pocket and handed it to her. She immediately put the cup to her mouth and reached for a fish.

“She looks all settled,” Sonny said to Will as he slid into the last chair at their table.

“For the moment,” Will agreed, bouncing his leg a little bit beneath Caro.

“She’s an angel,” Abby said.

“Tell me that when she’s waking you up at two in the morning,” Will said, dropping a kiss to the top of Caro’s head. “Are you an angel?” Will asked her.

“Yes!” Caro said decisively.

“Is Daddy an angel?”

“No!”

“Daddy’s not an angel? That hurts. Is Aunt Abby an angel?”

“No!”

Abby gasped theatrically, which made Caro laugh. “I’m not an angel?”

“No.”

“Is Sonny an angel?” Abby asked.

Caro twisted so her face was buried in Will’s shirt. “No.”

“Hmm,” Abby said. “Actually, I’ve heard that about you, Sonny.”

“Funny,” Sonny said.

The conversation flowed easily between them. Abby and Sonny had short cut ways of talking about people they both knew, and events they were both aware of, but they made a point of including Will. Sonny had to get up a couple times to serve customers, but he was never gone long. Over the course of their conversation, Will discovered that he and Sonny shared a love for baseball and music.

When Caro started to get restless and grumpy, Will dipped his fingers back into the outside pocket on his end of the diaper bag. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he asked Abby if the pacifier was on her end. Abby reached into the pocket and handed the prize she’d fished out to Will.

Will dunked the pacifier into the cold remains of his coffee, sucked it clean, and then popped it into Caro’s mouth. She started sucking on it immediately, and soon after settled heavily into Will’s arms. When Will looked back up, both Abby and Sonny were staring at him. “What?”

Abby shook her head. “I’ve seen you do that before, but it’s still disgusting.”

Will snorted. “Please. I’ve had worse than that in my mouth.”

As soon as the words left his tongue, Will knew they were a mistake.

“I’m sure,” Abby said, not even trying to hide her grin.

Will reached out with his leg to kick her under the table, but missed. “That’s not what I meant!”

A flush heated Will’s skin, but he still darted a look at Sonny to see what his reaction was to Abby’s teasing remark. Sonny was grinning widely, and yet he gave Will a sheepish smile when Will caught him doing so.

Sonny was saved by the bell, or the door opening. Tapping his fist onto the table lightly, he gave them a look of regret. “I should get back to work.”

Will was sorry to end their visit, but Caro was moments away from falling asleep. “Yeah, we should probably be heading out, anyway,” he said.

“Yeah,” Abby agreed. “She’s nearly zonked out now.”

“Well,” Sonny said, glancing over his shoulder at the couple that was standing at the counter and reading over the menu board. “It was good to see you again, Abby.” They stood and Sonny gave Abby a hug. “And nice meeting you, Will.”

“You, too,” Will said.

“Now that you know we’re here, I hope you’ll stop in again.”

“I will,” Will said, and watched Sonny as he gathered up their empty coffee mugs and carried them behind the counter.

When Will turned back, Abby was looking at him with a knowing expression on her face. “What?”

“Nothing,” Abby said innocently.

“Uh huh,” Will said. He pushed his chair back and stood. “Can you . . . ?”

“Got it,” Abby said, grabbing the diaper bag and stuffing the sippie cup and baggie of goldfish back inside it.

Caro snuggled into Will’s arms and he was loathe to have to put her in the stroller. He waved to Sonny as he and Abby headed for the door, and was pleased when Sonny acknowledged it even as he waited on his customers.

Outside Will got Caro strapped into the stroller and covered with a light blanket (the days were still warm, but sometimes a light breeze kicked up), while Abby stowed the diaper bag beneath the seat and unlocked the bicycle lock she’d used to lock the stroller to the bike rack near the coffee shop.

Will pushed the stroller and they started toward home. After a few minutes, Abby couldn’t hold in her questions any longer.

“So. What did you think?”

“I liked it,” Will said. “I still can’t believe I didn’t know that place was there. I’d swear it was still a bar. When did Sonny . . . ?”

Will glanced at Abby and saw the look she was giving him. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Abby grumbled.

“Maybe I’m not playing. Fine!” Will said, darting away from the pinch headed his way. “I’m guessing you mean Sonny?”

“Yes, I mean Sonny,” Abby said, mimicking Will.

“He’s nice,” Will said.

“Nice?” Abby said, her tone brimming with disbelief.

“Yes,” Will said nodding. “He was very nice.”

“Now you’re just being mean. Or trying to annoy me.”

Will laughed. “He was cute, okay. Is that what you want to hear?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to hear. And?”

“And what?”

“There was chemistry, right? I mean, he seemed to like you, too.”

Will shrugged. He’d enjoyed the flirting, but he’d seen the expression on Sonny’s face when he realized that Will came with a daughter. “Maybe.”

“What do you mean, maybe?”

“Look, you’re right, okay? I thought there might’ve been . . . something, but did you see his face when he realized that I had a kid? I don’t think he wants to sign on for that.”

“That doesn’t sound like the Sonny I know,” Abby said.

Will shrugged. It wasn’t the first time someone had cooled towards him when they realized he came with a ready-made family. “Not everyone wants a guy who comes with baggage.” Will leaned down and tucked the blanket in around Caro’s shoulders. “Even baggage as cute as this.”

~*~*~*~

It was several days before Will could return to Common Grounds. He had Caro for the entire weekend, as well as Wednesday night, and classes and work on Monday and Tuesday. It wasn’t until the long break between classes on Thursday that Will got back there. He was nervous about it, wondering if he’d be transparent to Sonny.

Will needn’t have worried, because Sonny wasn’t behind the counter when Will stepped inside. The woman responded to the smile that was already on Will’s face in anticipation of seeing Sonny when he entered, and he tried not to let it slip when he realized that Sonny wasn’t there.

“Hi,” Will said, even more self-conscious now, as if she could read his disappointment even though she’d never met him before.

“Hi! Welcome to Common Grounds. What can I get for you today?”

“Just a regular coffee, black,” Will said. “Thanks.”

Will looked around the shop while Lynn, according to the tag clipped to her apron, poured his coffee, scoping out a good place to sit. The corner table they’d sat at last Saturday was open. It would probably be quieter if Will sat further back, but it was brighter up front near the windows. And being in the corner would give him a bit of privacy if the place got crowded. Besides, it wasn’t as if it would get nearly as noisy in here as it did in the Student Union, and his earphones would easily block the sound of normal conversation.

Will handed over a couple bucks and then carried his coffee over to the table he’d chosen. He took a careful sip of the steaming hot beverage before setting the mug down to get out his text book and notebook from his backpack. Will got his book open to the correct page, and his highlighter and pen at the ready, and then got out his iPod and set it to shuffle.

Will wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a fresh cup of coffee was set in his line of vision. Will raised his head to tell Lynn that he hadn’t ordered another, and instead saw Sonny standing there, smiling at him.

Will’s own lips curved up into a big smile at the sight of Sonny. He couldn’t have stopped them if he’d wanted to. “Hey, man,” Will said as he pulled the earphones out of his ears.

“Hey,” Sonny said back. “You looked like you could use this.”

“Thanks,” Will said. “Actually, I have a seminar tonight, so . . . .”

“You need this more than I thought.”

Will laughed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well. I should probably let you get back to your studying.”

“Actually,” Will said. “I, uh, I could use a break. I mean, if you don’t have to get back to work or something.”

Sonny glanced over his shoulder at Lynn, who waved him off, and then pulled out the chair next to Will. “It looks like Lynn has it covered for now.”

Will ducked his head to hide the ridiculous smile that spread across his face at that.

~*~

Will started stopping by Common Grounds once or twice a week. He always went on Thursdays now, between his last early class of the day at 2pm and the seminar that began at six, and on every other Saturday afternoon after his shift at Brady’s Pub.

“How come you never bring Caro in with you?” Sonny asked one afternoon.

“I only have her on Wednesday nights and every other weekend,” Will told him.

“Is that why you only come in every other Saturday?” Sonny asked.

“Um, yeah.”

Sonny reached out and messed up Will’s hair, and Will slapped his hand away.

Laughing, Sonny said, “Bring Caro to visit.”

“You seemed kind of uncomfortable around her. Or because she was mine,” Will said, even though the words were difficult to get out.

Sonny gave Will a look. “Bring her in.”

~*~

Now that he had permission to bring Caro along, Will started stopping by Common Grounds more often. It was nice to see Sonny more, even though the visits with Caro were necessarily shorter because she got restless. One Saturday when Will had to head out, Sonny surprised him by walking to the playground with them. They put Caro in the swing and pushed her while they talked, until she was falling asleep.

Will caught Sonny smiling at him once when he had to lay Caro out on the bench seat to change her diaper. “What?”

Sonny just shrugged, but the enigmatic smile remained.

Will invited Sonny over for dinner one Wednesday night.

“You cook?” Sonny said, sounding impressed.

“Uh, no,” Will admitted. “I was gonna get take-out from the Pub.”

Sonny laughed and accepted.

They ended up staying at the Pub to eat because Will’s great-grandma claimed that she didn’t get to see Caro enough.

“You see her all the time!” Will said.

“And it’s still not nearly enough,” Caroline archly replied, taking Caro from him and leaving Will and Sonny to eat while she took Caro into the back and spoiled her rotten. Or rotten-er.

Things between Will and Sonny were . . . nice. They had a lot in common, and Will enjoyed talking with Sonny, or just spending time with him without talking. (Sometimes Sonny joined Will at his table to do paperwork while Will studied.) There was even the occasional flirting, and Will still got butterflies in his stomach when he looked at Sonny sometimes, but they remained just friends.

Most days, Will was okay with that.

~*~

Will had gotten into the habit of stopping in at Common Grounds every Wednesday after he picked Caro up from Gabi. It hadn’t taken Caro long to warm up to Sonny – she was her father’s daughter, after all – and now, as soon as she saw Sonny she would run over to him for a hug and cuddle. Will was sometimes jealous at how easily Caro asked for what she wanted (often demanded it) rather than hiding behind fear and insecurity.

They sat at the table to the side of the counter so Sonny could join them and still be able to get up quickly if he needed to go behind the counter to assist Lynn or Kim if they got busy. This particular Wednesday Caro was cranky because she’d refused to nap for Gabi that afternoon. They’d agreed that Caro might be teething again, since she had a mild fever. Gabi gave her a children’s aspirin and gave Will a teething ring she’d put in the freezer in case Caro needed it later.

Caro even refused to color in the books Sonny had brought out one day, admitting that he’d picked them up for Caro to have something to do when Will brought her by. She also refused to be comforted by Will, which broke his heart a little bit. Eventually, though, she feel asleep on Sonny’s shoulder.

Will couldn’t deny that he liked the way Sonny looked with Caro in his arms. “She looks like such an angel right now,” Will said. “Who’d believe that she was crying just moments ago?”

“Those people in the corner,” Sonny said, softening the words with a grin.

“We didn’t scare away any of your customers, did we?” Will asked as he reached out to take the teething ring out of Caro’s lax fingers before she dropped it. He swiped a bit of drool off her chin with his thumb, and wiped it on his jeans.

“No,” Sonny said. “I was just kidding.” After a second he admitted, “I’m kind of afraid to move.”

Caro let out a soft snore at that, that had both of them trying to laugh quietly and not wake her up.

“I don’t think you have to worry,” Will said when Caro slept through Sonny’s shaking. “I can take her, though, if you want.”

“Nah, I’m good,” Sonny said, shifting in the chair to get more comfortable.

With Caro finally resting, they talked softly about how the baseball season had ended, how Will’s classes were going, how much it sucked to set up work schedules when everyone wanted the same day off, and what they were each doing for Thanksgiving. It was nice. Will liked how at ease he felt around Sonny, even if he sometimes allowed himself to want more.

So attuned had Will gotten to Sonny’s moods that he immediately noticed when Sonny went tense. Caro noticed, too, shifting in her sleep, though thankfully not waking. Will followed the direction of Sonny’s gaze and saw a guy standing just inside the door. Will had seen him around, but they’d never met. Once he saw that Sonny had noticed him, the guy walked over to where they were sitting.

“Well, isn’t this cozy,” he said, giving Sonny a smile that held an edge. “Never thought I’d see you holding a baby.”

“Brian,” Sonny said evenly, not rising to the bait. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to talk to you. If you’re not too busy with your little family.”

Sonny went even more stiff at the implication, and Will felt his heart crack into a million pieces at his reaction.

“Give her to me,” Will said, the words coming out more sharply than he’d intended.

Sonny frowned at him. “Will?”

“You go talk,” Will said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. “I’ll take her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Will said, reaching for Caro.

As soon as he had her in his arms, Will cradled her close, as if he could protect her from Sonny’s reaction, keep her little heart from breaking the way his had.

“I’ll just be a minute,” Sonny assured Will before he stood and walked a little way away with Brian.

Brian gestured towards a table. Sonny shook his head at first, but eventually he gave in and they sat so they could talk. With every minute that passed Will felt everything crumbling. Finally he couldn’t take it any longer, just sitting there, waiting, while Sonny and Brian talked about . . . Will didn’t know what, but it probably had nothing to do with diapers and what detergent was best for getting out spit up stains.

Will’s hands were a little jerky as he got Caro into her coat. She stirred, but didn’t wake, to Will’s relief. He made sure he had everything in the diaper bag, then threw a couple dollars on the table. If Sonny didn’t want them for the coffee Will had drank, he could put them in the tip jar.

Sonny came over as Will was getting the diaper bag settled on his shoulder. “Hey, sorry this is taking longer than I thought it would.”

“It’s fine,” Will said. “I should get her home, anyway.”

“Okay,” Sonny said, glancing down at Caro. “I’ll see you later?”

“Later,” Will agreed, even though he already knew he wouldn’t be back.

Outside Will turned Caro into his chest, protecting her from the cool air as much as he could. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Looks like it’s just you and me, baby girl.”

~*~

It was more difficult than Will thought it would be to stay away from Common Grounds. He spent more time with Sonny than he’d realized, and thoughts of Sonny filled a lot of the moments when they weren’t together. It didn’t help matters that the next week of his self-imposed exile was Thanksgiving, and he’d be on vacation for most of the week. Free time he’d hoped to spend with Sonny.

Instead, Will filled the time with extra shifts at the Pub and worked on a paper that was due after vacation. Still, Will hadn’t realized how much of his time was dedicated to Sonny until he was forced to find other things to do to fill the time.

Two weeks after that day at Common Grounds, Will picked up Caro as usual from Gabi on Wednesday afternoon. As Will was buckling her into the stroller, Caro looked at him with her big brown eyes and said, “Sonny?”

Will’s fingers fumbled the buckle at the innocent question. “Not tonight, sweetie,” he said.

“What’s wrong?” Abby said when Will called her that night after Caro had fallen asleep.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Will lied.

“Sonny says he hasn’t seen you in a while,” Abby commented. “He wondered if everything was alright.”

“I don’t want to talk about Sonny.”

“So something is wrong.”

“Nothing,” Will began, then sighed. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said, and even he wouldn’t have believed it.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Abby said dryly. “Come on, now, talk to Cousin Abby. What’s going on with you and Sonny?”

“Nothing,” Will said, defeated. “Nothing _was_ going on, nothing _is_ going on, and nothing will ever _be_ going on.”

Abby was silent for a moment. “Drama queen much?”

“I’d hang up on you right now if I wasn’t calling to ask a favor,” Will said.

“What is it?”

“Can you watch Caro for a couple hours Saturday night?”

“Of course I can! I haven’t spent girl time with the munchkin in way too long. I take it you’re not going out with Sonny.”

“No,” Will said. “It’s a thing for a friend at school, a surprise birthday party. I won’t stay long.”

Will wasn’t really feeling in the party mood, but he’d promised to show up, so he had to at least put in an appearance.

~*~

Will ran into Sonny Friday night at the Horton Town Square.

“Will, hi,” Sonny said.

Will wiped his palms on his jeans. “Hi.”

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Sonny said.

“No, I, uh, I’ve been busy.”

“You’re kind of a crappy liar,” Sonny said. “Is it because of what Brian said?”

“It has nothing to do with _Brian_!” Will said, almost more mad because Sonny didn’t _get_ it. “It has everything to do with you, Sonny, you. I mean, I knew you weren’t interested in someone who came complete with baby on board, but I thought you liked me, liked Caro.”

“I do like you,” Sonny said, face crinkling up in confusion. “I like you both. A lot.”

“I saw your reaction that first day we met, when you found out I had a daughter. And I get it, not everybody wants to date a guy who comes as a package deal. But I liked you, so I thought, we’ll just be friends.”

“We were friends,” Sonny said. “We _are_ friends.”

Will had to ignore Sonny so he could finish. “But then I saw your reaction when Brian saw you holding Caro. You were, I don’t know, embarrassed. Of her. Of us. Because someone thought you might be involved with a guy with a kid.”

“Will, that’s not . . . .”

“Well, I can’t . . . Caro has to come first with me.”

“Of course she does.”

“So you understand.”

“Yeah, she’s your daughter and you love her. I love her, too.”

“I thought you did,” Will said. “Even if you didn’t . . . like me the way I liked you.”

“But I do!” Sonny said. “Wait, you like me, like, like me?”

“I can’t,” Will said. “Part of me wishes I could, but I can’t.”

Walking away from Sonny was the hardest thing Will had ever done.

~*~*~*~

Will unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to make any loud or sudden noises that might wake Caro. It was also possible that Abby had fallen asleep, since Will didn’t hear the soft drone of the television. If that was the case, he’d just throw a blanket over her and let her spend the night on the couch.

Will owed her big time, especially since he’d ended up staying out later than he’d originally planned. It was close to midnight now, and she’d expected him home a couple hours ago. He’d called to let her know he’d be late, and she hadn’t sounded put out, but chocolate definitely, maybe even flowers were in order.

He hadn’t had more than a beer – as a new father Will had learned the hard way that hangovers and infants don’t mix. Abby had been his lifeline then, as well. But at least he’d managed to forget about Sonny for four hours. Mostly. And he’d liked the way it felt to not ache for a little while.

After Will had hung up his jacket and toed off his shoes, he turned to the living room. Though the room was dim, softly lit only by a small lamp, Will could see Abby sitting up in one of the chairs rather than lying asleep on the couch as he’d expected her to be. She raised her finger to her lips and then pointed towards the couch. Will tiptoed across the bare floor and peered over the back of the couch. The sight that met his eyes was not at all what he’d been expecting.

Sonny lay sleeping on the couch with a sleeping Caro held to his chest. Will’s eyes burned at the sight, and his heart gave a little blip before settling back down.

Abby stood and walked towards the door. Will followed her.

“Where are you going?” Will whispered.

“Home,” Abby said. “It’s late and I’m tired.”

“I’m sorry about that! But can’t you stay a little while longer?” he whispered desperately.

Abby smiled at him. It was a smile that didn’t bode well. It reminded him of one of his grandma Marlena’s smiles.

“I’m sure you can handle things from here.”

Before Will could formulate a reply to that, the door was closing softly behind her and Will was left alone with Sonny. Well, Caro was there, but Will didn’t think she’d be much help. Especially since she was cuddled up to Sonny right that second.

Will took a deep breath and walked back over to the couch. He contemplated putting Caro to bed, but that would probably wake Sonny. Instead, he sank into the seat that Abby had vacated and wondered if it was too much to hope that both of them would sleep through until morning.

Twenty minutes later Will had his answer. Sonny stirred, and Will saw the moment when he came fully awake. The first thing he did was check to make sure that Caro was in no danger of rolling off him. If Will hadn’t just spent the last twenty minutes drinking in the sight of Sonny lying on his couch, holding his daughter, that alone would’ve been enough to make Will fall in love with him all over again.

Only after he’d checked on Caro did Sonny look towards the chair Will sat in. The surprise on his face told Will that he’d expected to see Abby sitting there.

“Will.”

“Sonny.”

“You’re home.”

“Yes.”

“I fell asleep.”

“I can see that,” Will said, trying not to smile at the way a sleepy Sonny was just a bit discombobulated.

Will could tell that Sonny wanted to sit up. Whether because he felt at a disadvantage lying there, or because it would be easier to say whatever he’d come there to say. Will wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. Still, Caro should probably not be there for it. Who knew what they could absorb even with they were sleeping.

“Let me take her,” Will said. “I’ll just put her to bed.”

Caro barely stirred when Will picked her up. She curled into him as he carried her to her room. Will breathed in the sweet baby scent of her before placing Caro in her crib. He covered her, and then stood for a moment, watching her sleep.

When he could put it off no longer, Will returned to the living room. Sonny had sat up. He still looked half asleep, and from the state of his hair it was clear he’d been running his fingers through it. Will had to tamp down on the urge to reach out and straighten it. Or make an attempt at it.

“So, uh, you’re here,” Will said.

Sonny gave Will a fondly amused look. “Yeah. You weren’t. I mean, I knew you had Caro tonight, so I thought I’d catch you at home, but . . . .”

“No, I, uh, had a thing.”

“Abby told me.”

Will twitched. “You waited.”

“Yeah.”

“I mean, uh, why? Did you wait?”

“Because I wanted to talk to you,” Sonny said.

“About what?”

Will had already ended things with Sonny, as much of a thing as they’d had, anyway, so why was he afraid that Sonny was going to tell him that had been the right decision?

“About us,” Sonny said. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Will shook his head, but before he could speak Sonny held up a hand. “You said a lot of things last night. Tonight’s my turn.”

Will swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“I like you,” Sonny said. “I like you a lot, Will. And I like Caro. I might’ve even fallen in love with her before I fell in love with you.”

Will’s head snapped up at that.

“And you’re right, I was afraid of what Brian would say. But I didn’t care what he thought about me, I was worried that he’d say something to hurt or upset you.”

“Bu why?” Will said. “I mean, why would you think he’d say something to upset me?”

Sonny looked embarrassed. “Brian and I went on a couple dates before I met you.”

“Oh.” Will didn’t like hearing that. “So what happened?” he asked.

Sonny gave him a look.

“Oh.” A flush of pleasure heated Will’s skin. He’d happened.

“Yeah. He, uh, didn’t take it well.”

“Okay, but, I don’t understand. You didn’t . . . I mean, there was no sign that you . . . .”

“I was trying to keep it low key,” Sonny said. “I mean, we seemed to get along right from the start, and I thought you flirted back, but then it seemed like you pulled back, cooled off towards me a little, so I wanted to give you time . . . .”

“Me?” Will said. “You! You’re the one! The look on your face when you realized I was a dad . . .”

“I will admit to being surprised,” Sonny said. “It’s not like you mentioned her when we were talking. But that didn’t change the fact that I wanted to get to know you better. You thought it did?”

“I thought you wanted to keep things, you know, just friends because you . . . .”

“Weren’t ready to date a guy who came complete with baby on board?” Sonny finished dryly.

“Oh god,” Will groaned. “I actually said that.”

“Yes, you did. But just to be clear. There’s nothing sexier to me than watching you take care of Caro.”

Will’s breath caught in his throat. “Really? I have the sudden urge to make a bottle or change a diaper.”

Sonny laughed softly and Will blushed.

“Can we pretend I didn’t say that?”

“At least now we both know that you will stoop to using your daughter to worm your way into my affections.”

“If only I’d known it would work,” Will said, smiling softly. “Hey. You asked me to bring her with me when I came to see you at the coffee shop.”

“I wanted to get to know her,” Sonny said simply.

“So, wait, you’re in love with me?”

Sonny laughed.

“Oh my gosh, don’t wake her up,” Will said, listening to see if Caro roused.

“Sorry,” Sonny said, lowering his voice. “But why not? Got plans for tonight that don’t involve getting Caro back to sleep?”

Will looked at Sonny, eyes sleepy, hair mussed, a wet spot on his shirt where Caro had drooled on him. He’d never looked more beautiful to Will.

“Yes,” Will said, and was warmed all over by the smile that spread across Sonny’s face.

The End


End file.
